Rusty's from-scratch Luke's ROTJ

[rusty_shackleford]

*edit* this is my first build, please be gentle

ok, ive been lurking on the board and the shop long enough, i decided to make a thread of my progress over the past 4 weeks.

Since I have the equipment and recently been trained in our tool room at work, i decided to put my skills to the test and make a saber based off Luke's ROTJ.

I've looked at pictures from this forum, build a saber with the MHS builder, seen other's replica pictures, and of course seen the slothfurnace build (WAY beyond my skill). There were some liberties taken in the design such as certain diameters, lengths, and other minor details but in the end, i'd like it to be as good of a representation as i can make.

I'm doing this by modeling and drawing all components in solidworks and machining from solid aluminum barstock, and programming our CNC bed mill with solidcam. I've already gotten most of the hilt complete so I'll start with the first steps, the lathe. these are all phone pics, i have some on the camera at work ill add later.

(These are all made from SOLID 2" aluminum barstock)

Ribbed for her pleasure:
2012-08-09 06.00.52 - Copy.jpg

Then the pommel:
2012-08-13 11.55.35 - Copy.jpg

Then the blade holder:
2012-08-14 10.16.01 - Copy.jpg

All pieces at my desk, lathe work only:
2012-08-14 07.07.52 - Copy.jpg

The blade holder was originally going to be 2 piece, I later scrapped for 1 piece design but did not take pictures of the 2nd lathe work.

Next post is mill work. (not much)

[rusty_shackleford]

After I was satisfied with the lathe work i began putting some finishing touches on them with the mill:

Programmed the CNC bed mill to make the grooves in the pommel:
2012-08-20 12.27.19 - Copy.jpg

I took design cues from the TCSS blade holder cuz its jut plain awesome:

(insert in-progress pic later)

2012-08-22 13.19.45 - Copy.jpg

did a test fit:
2012-08-24 16.34.07 - Copy.jpg

2012-08-24 16.33.45 - Copy.jpg

It was here that I realized the 2 body sections between the grip and the pommel are too long. I shortened 1 by an inch. no pics of that, sorry.

Here is the switch box:
2012-08-31 07.10.18 - Copy.jpg

[rusty_shackleford]

After the test fit was done and one of the body sections shortened, i painted the parts.

I began by taping off the top and bottom of the blade holder. I then sand-blasted the blade holder and ribbed grip. After that the parts were cleaned and degreased then primed with a self-etching primer specifically for bare aluminum.

Black sections done in a flat black (i thought it looked better than glossy ala slothfurnace), and the copper done in rustoleum metallic copper. Everything got 2 coats.

I then chucked the whole assembly up in the lathe and sanded the ribs of the grip and the one "blade" of the blade holder.

I thought it all came out pretty good.

I don't have any in-progress pics of the painting process, sorry.

Blade holder attached with set-screw:
2012-08-31 07.10.50 - Copy.jpg

2012-08-28 15.24.16 - Copy.jpg

2012-08-28 15.25.04 - Copy.jpg

2012-08-28 15.25.49 - Copy.jpg
(shortened 1")

And that's where I am at for now. I have ordered some of the electronics and have a wiring diagram coming up soon (on work computer).

Let me know what you think so far!

[Arryck Corso]

Beautiful work on the lathe. You should be very proud of this! Can't wait to see it lit up.

[Lord Dottore Matto]

Okay...this is coming from a person who may know a scoche about ROTJ and Obi sabers, lol. I think you are doing a beautiful job, but you are mixing Obi and Luke (that emitter is 100% Obi). It is very long for an ROTJ as well. All of those things said, I know you mentioned that you were "basing it" off of the ROTJ, so if that is indeed the case, great job.

[Noyl Wendor]

Isn't it "ribbed" for "your" pleasure?
Any how, from a guy who can only turn on a lathe
That looks awesome, great work.

[rusty_shackleford]

Okay...this is coming from a person who may know a scoche about ROTJ and Obi sabers, lol. I think you are doing a beautiful job, but you are mixing Obi and Luke (that emitter is 100% Obi). It is very long for an ROTJ as well. All of those things said, I know you mentioned that you were "basing it" off of the ROTJ, so if that is indeed the case, great job.

AH, thank you for pointing that out! I originally started with the TCSS builder and ultimately fell in love with the design of the emitter (blade holder i called it?). I know the angles and holes arent supposed to be there but when i modeled the saber in solidworks and did an actual rendering, i couldn't throw them away to match the actual ROTJ.

The whole assembly is about 11.5", how much shorter do you think it should be? When i pieced the part together on the builder, it was nearly 13".

[Lord Dottore Matto]

~10.5" would be about right. That said man, you need ot build it the way YOU like it. You are doing a great job.

[rusty_shackleford]

Did a little bit of work today.

got a green luxeon rebel on a 10mm coolbase PCB

Got an 11mm 7* lens

made a custom heatsink:
2012-09-05 10.22.07.jpg

soldered and mounted:
2012-09-05 11.58.40.jpg

A custom lens holder.
2012-09-05 12.14.18.jpg

getting test fitted:
2012-09-05 12.15.24.jpg

2012-09-05 13.13.35.jpg

the lens holder has an OD of just under 3/4" so it should fit in a thin walled blade, but if i wanted to go with a thick, i could just open the inside.

i will finish mounting once i lay some thermal grease between the heatsink and the blade holder.

*edit* fixed links

[Kevin Starwaster]

the lens holder has an OD of just under 3/4" so it should fit in a thin walled blade, but if i wanted to go with a thick, i could just open the inside.

i will finish mounting once i lay some thermal grease between the heatsink and the blade holder.

*edit* fixed links

Or add something as a spacer, like a length of thin wall or equivalent. Or something flanged.